Sinn Féin - On Your Side

Martin Ferris calls for strong line at fishing talks

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Fisheries, Martin Ferris TD has called on the
Minister for the Marine Dermot Ahern to take a strong line in defence of
Irish fishing interests at Wednesday's meeting of the Fisheries Council in
Brussels. The EU is proposing severe cuts in quotas and allowable
catches (TACs) along with further possible restrictions on fishing days.
The proposals come only a short time after restrictions of 10 and 15
days were placed on Irish Sea fishermen and are a consequence of the
Commission's rejection of Irish fishermen's own recovery plan.

Deputy Ferris said:

"The crisis facing Irish fishermen can hardly be underestimated. If
the proposals mooted by the Commission are accepted, the situation will be
further exacerbated. While I welcome the Minister's determination to
oppose the proposals, I believe that he must take a far stronger line
than he has done to date. Minister Ahern mentions the need to defend
the Hague Preferences as a guarantee of extra quota, but he must surely
recognise that the Preferences have not secured the Irish fisheries over
the past three decades. They were never more than a compromise on the
initial disastrous deal made in 1973 and until the very basis of that deal
and of the Common Fisheries Policy is renegotiated, the future of Irish
fishing is bleak. In the Dáil tomorrow I will be calling on the
Government to make such a renegotiation a key issue in the Irish
Presidency of the EU". ENDS